Fusion-io ioDrive vs. Intel X-25M in RAID 0

Fusion-io is a name that popped up last year out of nowhere, and from how things are looking, their name is going to remain in the limelight for quite some time. This is of course thanks to their ultra-fast solid-state storage solutions, such as the 160GB ioDrive that our friends at HotHardware had the privilege to test. This is a drive that has more pros than cons, but sadly, one con in particular is rather major… the $7,200 price tag.

Of course, this isn’t a storage solution designed for regular users, nor even the highest-end of enthusiast. Rather, these extreme speeds are perfectly-suited for database work, or even hardcore workstation use (project rendering). With such a high price though, the question must be begged… how can the same performance be achieved at a more reasonable price?

In an attempt to get that done, HotHardware took four Intel X-25M SSD’s, already known for being the best on the market, and put them together in RAID 0, essentially combining their performance. Theoretically, such a setup will beat Fusion-io’s drive in the read test, but fall short in the write. With those ideas in mind, the results shown aren’t too surprising, but what’s great to note is that the performance from even two Intel drives in RAID 0 is absolutely incredible. Not to mention the price tag is a lot easier to swallow as well…

Credit: HotHardware

To look at the card itself you’ll note its pure simplicity and elegance. There are but a few passive components along with a bunch of Samsung SLC NAND Flash and Fusion-io’s proprietary ioDrive controller. The 160GB card we tested above is a half-height PCI Express X4 implementation. From a silicon content standpoint it’s a model of efficiency, though the PCB itself is a 16 layer board, which is definitely a complex quagmire of routing for all those NAND chips.